Government welcomes Māori forestry collective announcement

Government welcomes Māori forestry collective announcement

Date: 18 May 2016

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Te Puni Kokiri (TPK) welcomed the announcement of Te Taitokerau Maori Forestry Collective Incorporated's Action Plan to 2020 launched today at the He Kai Kei Aku Ringa (HKKAR) Regional Hui in Kerikeri.

The Collective is made up of 10 Māori land entities, and together they plan to replant more than 32,000 hectares of their land in forest – an initiative that offers business, education and employment opportunities. The Action Plan to 2020 will pave the way for the Collective’s future.

Ben Dalton, Deputy Director General at the Ministry for Primary Industries, is pleased with the significant progress the Collective has made.

“The Collective has a Māori aspirational focus; to develop land and create employment to sustain their people. Māori are significant contributors to Northland’s forestry industry and Northland will see tangible economic outcomes from the work of the Collective," says Mr Dalton.

MPI has committed support to the Collective’s next steps to develop a business case and investors prospectus. This will enable them to secure investment for the replant of the remainder of their land.

Today’s HKKAR Regional Hui is led by Te Puni Kokiri and Maori Business Facilitation Service Account Manager, April Erueti was proud to see the Collective present their future vision in the Action Plan to 2020.

“The Hui was a very fitting setting to launch the Action Plan - He Kai Kei Aku Ringa literally translates to ‘to provide the food you need with your own hands’ and the Collective’s ambitions align with the HKKAR vision of actively seeking opportunities to improve Māori economic performance,” says Ms Erueti.

The Collective was one of the actions identified in the Taitokerau Northland Economic Action Plan which was launched in February this year, designed to jump start Northland’s economy.

The Collective was formed in 2013 and has been supported by the Ministry from Primary Industries, Te Puni Kokiri and several industry partners.

MPI supports the Collective through the Maori Agribusiness: Pathway to Productivity (MAPIP) Programme.

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